


Nightly Work

by Milight



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Precious Peter Parker, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 18:03:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20068261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milight/pseuds/Milight
Summary: May and Peter were invited to Tony Stark's anniversary party with Pepper. Peter had a problem until the billionaire noticed.





	Nightly Work

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, this was set after Homecoming and Civil War. So please don't expect their interaction too cuddly or expressive. I tried making it as realistic as possible with their father-son relationship.

“Aunt May! Aunt May!” 

Peter Parker, the fifteen-year-old, dashed through the living room to his aunt's room. He just finished school when he got something that enlightened his day further from the Parker Luck from school. He rushed to his home filled with delight and excitement. He knocked at her door several times rapidly, not be able to contain his mouth stay shut. After a few seconds, the door opened appeared the frantic sight of a middle-aged woman reflecting her fear and concern at her eyes. 

“Peter! What-“ 

“Aunt May,” Peter cut her off, with his voice stepped slower and softer just to ease the woman from freaking out of nothing too important for her. Aunt May huffed in exhaustion, her old age combined with parental care for a teenager really took a toll out of her. 

“Pete, what is it?” Aunt May asked calmly now because of Peter’s face full of glee meant that her nephew’s not in trouble or hurt which is a good sign. He’s grinning like he just saw something extraordinary, which relieved May not to worry but concern what was he happy about. That May could handle for the time being. 

“S-Sorry I scared you, Aunt May but this is really- REALLY- cool. Like Star Wars Clone Wars cool!” Peter giddied. Aunt May chuckled for a little, her boy always thinking to Star Wars references that she was always used to since Ned and Peter talked about it a lot. “Alright, what is it?” Aunt May asked again, not feeling the tiredness and pain from work yesterday. At least, not anymore as long as Peter’s smile cheered her up a bit. 

“We’re invited! To Mr. Stark’s party!” 

Peter wasn’t surprised when his aunt suddenly turned bitter over the name of the billionaire. Seeing that Aunt May knew his other life known as the web-slinger, she took the blame to Mr. Stark with a harsh slap in the face before Peter could interrupt. As much as he felt bad for Mr. Stark confronting his aunt’s wrath, he was a tad bit amused by the whole thing. Aunt May, in a lot of cases, had the intimidation to overpower the powered. And when push comes to shove, she didn’t care if it was a celebrity or rich popular people. She would kick their asses every day with her motherly  scoldings that could compete for the Black Widow’s frightening stare. Messing her family was the last thing Aunt May feared, and that she would do anything at her power to defend her family. So, in a sense, Peter was satisfied he saw Mr. Stark got what he deserved coming from his ego. However, at some point, he had to stop Aunt May from going further complaining to the poor stricken rich man considering she could pack a punch rather than a slap and had to spare Mr. Stark because he owed him this much for the suit and everything. 

“Oh,” was the first-word Aunt May spoke but with venom and disappointment. “And why invite us?”

Peter shrugged, “Happy only messaged me this.” He showed his aunt his phone and its screen had the contact's name 'Happy' with his message: 

_ The boss said that you’re invited to a party. It’s  _ _ gonna _ _ be his and Pepper’s anniversary. He would allow your aunt if she wants to. Be there outside your apartment by 8 tonight. Just text back if you don’t want to.  _

“Can you believe it?” Peter couldn’t hide the excitement trying to burst out of his mouth. “ We’re invited to their anniversary party! Their personal soon-to-be-married couple anniversary party!” Peter stopped shouting like it was Christmas and gave a pensive look. 

“That... may need to wear tuxedos and formal dresses. Aunt May- Oh shit! It’s already six thirty-eight. I-I have to g- but, May. Do you-um-“ May laughed suddenly. Peter's nervous stutters always get his aunt's soft side, too shy to ask a simple question. He is always the introverted type ever since he was little. But that was what Aunt May assumed to be. He was the introvert back then, but now when May saw her boy from the red spandex fighting bad guys from watching the news, he’s a chatterbox. Often talking to his opponents while he’s kicking their asses in the process. 

To be honest, she is quite proud of him being a hero to Queens. While she is still in denial about her nephew being a crime-fighter that may lead him to his death or major injuries, she took his skills quite good for a teenage superhero. He stayed vigilant over his people regardless of some citizens still thinking he’s a menace. He didn’t want to kill anyone in spite of them trying to kill innocents. He helped the people’s small problems such as getting their cats down the tree, guiding lost children on the streets, chatting with strangers’ problems revolving about their lives and what got wrong that made him/her miserable. 

She was then told by Peter that he was devastated about Uncle Ben’s death. Telling that it was all his fault that he didn’t stop the gunner who shot Ben. Of course, she teared up about the whole incident, feeling as if those bad memories were still fresh in her mind. And maybe Peter was too. However, she took no blame. She said it wasn’t his fault. That he couldn’t control the situation. He was upset that day and she understood him and his teenage hormones. She said he is still a child. He was totally unaware Ben looked for him and confronted the armed robber. After all, he is still her boy. He’s the only one she has in her life. And most likely Peter thought that too. 

“May?” 

The aunt snapped back, looking at the teen who showed confusion and nervous tension showed upon his face. 

She sighed, defeated. 

“Alright, I’ll go with you. Get going and suit up.” 

Peter never before grinned excitedly and ran towards his room to get his prom suit. He readied his polished black shoes and brushed his teeth for fresh breath. He got so excited and afraid that people might judge too hard that he ate tons of mints to ensure his breath doesn’t reek. 

Both aunt and nephew prepared themselves for the following night. 

* * *

It was nearing eight of the evening. 

Peter waited for that time to come by pacing around the house to practice not being an embarrassment to the crowd for the party. Being average people on a highly affluent ball made Peter unnerved by the fact he and his aunt are  _ average people _ , and that they’re too different from, what he assumed, those ladies and gentlemen at the anniversary party. After all, Mr. Stark is a billionaire. 

Fortunately, he- as an average person- is an exception. 

He also needs to introduce himself to Mr. Stark’s fiancé. That he missed meeting at the time of the Avengers offer. She was there, behind, but he doesn’t know where. 

“Okay, Pete. Don’t screw this up,” he mumbled to himself, feeling the hyperventilation sinking into his lungs. 

“I-I- uhm - I am-... “ 

_ Oh god, can’t breathe _

“Breathe, Peter, breathe”

The teen had to concentrate on the mirror and tried not to lose air. Man, was he so dramatic. 

“Okay, um... Hi-! Wait, Good evening, Mademoiselle.” Peter  facepalmed at the accent and the name given.  _ What the hell, Peter? This is not France. But, to be fair, rich parties like Mister Stark’s can be  _ _ honored _ _ to call one of the elegant parties in France. _

He shook his head and repeated once again, “My name’s P-Peter Parker. I-I-uh...” He forgot what kind of relationship is he to Mr. Stark if he has to go to some sophisticated party. He thought about it. He did ‘apply’ for the September grant that correlates to Mr. Stark’s work, so that’s a first. But not enough as to why he got invited. He even wondered why did he and May get invited in the first place. 

_ Maybe... he cares?  _

No. Peter shook his head at it. That’s too far-fetched. Mr. Stark has a big ego that most of the time doesn’t show any affection at all. Only he is open to Ms. Potts, who is his-soon-to-be-wife. Mr. Stark didn’t mention marriage but he did mention his engagement at the time he was offered to be an Avenger. 

_ Oh yeah, the internship. _ The Stark Internship. It was his way of excuse himself from being a scrawny teenaged nerd to a young carefree superhero. How did he forget about that? Was he really that nervous to come to the party, he couldn’t come up with words to describe himself for it? 

Peter heard the loud engine of a car coming near their apartment. He took a breath and walked out of his room. 

When he entered the living room, May was already with her old glittered silver sleek gown. She was doing her simple make-up. Her back facing him. Her make-up was nothing too classy. Though, that dress was the dress she used back in her young days such as her prom. She told him that the gown was also used with her first date with Uncle Ben. She said he was red as a tomato when he saw her. The mention of him made Peter dishearten. 

Until then, he brushed it off and complimented his aunt, “W-Wow, May. You still look good in that gown.” 

“Thank you, Peter. I sure do like this but it’s getting tight.” After doing the make-up, she combed her long brown hair still facing the mirror she’s holding. 

Peter laughed. “Well, then maybe you’re getting fat. I did pretty much notice you ate two bags of chips last night when I got home.” 

“Oh hush, kiddo. I saw you and Ned ate five whole bowls of Doritos last week. Don’t think I didn’t see that. I even saw you weighed heavier the moment you step on the weighing scale.” 

“Oh my G- why am I so dramatic over my weight?!” 

“You’re going through puberty, kid. Learn to be ashamed.” 

Finishing the touches of her make-up one last time, she turned back to Peter. His suit is still clean and neat like he used for the school night back in homecoming. Although, one is missing for the set to be completed. And that is the tie that the boy is holding. His eyes begged for guidance. “Oh, Peter. Still haven’t learned it yet?” It was both sincere pity and amusing mockery. 

Peter pouted, “I tried, okay?” 

May laughed and stepped closer to her nephew, helping him- again- tie his tie. 

Once she was done, she and the boy heard three knocks from their front door. 

“And that must be Happy,” Peter muttered. 

“For a guy that the name’s trait, he  kinda goes the opposite of it.” 

“Right?” Peter bit his lip to shut himself up as May opened the door, revealing a fully suited and grumpy Happy Hogan. 

Peter swore that he just saw Happy wide-eyed at May on a blink of an eye. 

Happy cleared his throat. “Mrs. Parker,” he greeted. 

“Mr. Hogan,” May also greeted, but in a weird way, Peter noticed. 

The awkward silence wasn’t taking long when Happy turned his gaze to the boy. “C’ mon. Boss doesn’t like someone late this evening.” 

And so they all rode the luxurious car and got to the Avengers Compound.

“ Woah ” 

Peter’s first word that came up when they three entered the Compound. It was another room. A massive one, too. The place was elegantly set. A buffet of food displayed from the side, that Peter could smell they’re still hot. The air-condition was strong besides the hot foods simmering heat to the air. The room was a size of a ballroom, except it’s more modernized. There aren’t much-designed walls or floors, only the covered-clothed table and the chandelier on the ceiling seemed to make the room just balanced. The floors are marbled black, and the walls had been painted with silver- ish white. 

The music brought serenity and peace. And also seemed elegant to hear. Like when entering a ball. 

There are tons of celebrities crowded the place that made Peter and May giddy slightly. They’ve always wanted to meet their idols from T.V. shows and movies. Although, nowadays Peter didn’t bother too much. Recently, he had fought with some of the Avengers against the half rogue avengers, became the apprentice of the one of the richest man in the world (Even though Mr. Stark mentioned that he should be called the one and only richest. Peter doubts it.), and given him multi-million dollar suit. 

May also didn’t care. While she may be excited to meet them, she’s a responsible woman. She always tells Peter that she couldn’t idolize her idols more than her family. It warms his heart at that.

“So, you two go and have fun. I’ll be waiting for you in the driveway if you need me to get you home,” Happy informed, walking through the passing crowd. But he didn’t get that far, as Peter’s aunt called him. 

“Wait, Happy.” 

He stopped glancing back at the two, especially at May.

“You want some Szechuan shrimps? I saw on the table right there.” She pointed on what table has the food she told. Happy gaped a little, seemingly tad bit surprised by the request. Hesitantly, he nodded. 

“Sure.”

He backtracked to May, as she warned Peter to not wander a lot after she told Happy to have a little lone talk together while picking some treats. 

Peter was conflicted on what to say from what had happened in front of him. Both happy and angry. Sure, he wanted to May to be glad she’s having that kind of relationship, but if this man will leave his aunt a broken heart he will never speak to him again (and also may hurt him a little for revenge, but that most likely will not happen since he’s as merciful as Uncle Ben). 

He left them with a neutral affirmation and wandered off while both adults were on the verge of eating the shrimps. 

He swore he spotted  Happy’s cheeks turned slightly red. 

Peter awkwardly greeted some of the known stars that may or may not show on May and Ben’s  favorite shows. Some of them are just rich people. He shifted through the sea of high-standard people and began searching for the couple who is the main idea whom all people came here. 

The constant chatters of these guests made Peter wince at the loud noises. Though the voices weren’t that loud to blow anyone’s eardrums, Peter had the sense of enhanced hearing which it can be a problem. Although, not only his hearing hurts but also his sight. It was getting too bright. The dancing  colorful lights hit him and made him more whimper away from everything. Peter began sweating from the pain of hearing the conversations that he couldn’t comprehend anymore. He tried covering his ears to stop it but it proved helpless. Gritting his teeth at the back of his head, feeling the headaches and nausea coming to get him hard, he realized what situation he was in

_ Oh no, sensory overload. Gosh, why in all places?  _

When he heard a familiar name called to his left, he turned beside him through the talking crowd to see quadruple men and one that differentiates the four. He looked to be really old but formal suited like his men? Bodyguards? His white hair and black- ish mustache made him look like Hitler.  _ Peter, that’s  _ _ kinda _ _ rude to assume he’s Hitler. Wash your mouth. On the other hand, he’s the supposed guy that called-  _

“Mr. Stark!” His stern and angered voiced didn’t seem fazed by the people who were just near him. 

And just then, the called name appeared to Peter’s slightly blurry vision, who looked to be pretty calm but also giving the old man( deep into his mind, he still looks like Hitler.) a glare. 

_ Shit, I  _ _ gotta _ _ hide. Where the hell is the bathroom? _ Peter couldn’t face Mr. Stark like this. He will embarrass himself in front. After all, he’s just an average kid from living a low-life in Queens. 

Unable to hold off nausea for long enough, he immediately dashed away, not caring if he bumped a few people in his way (however, he did have the slightest embarrassment throughout because he intentionally bumped some of his idols back then). 

After the long-suffering of walking around while having sensory overload, he managed to find the restroom. Luckily, even for Tony Stark, he had a public restroom that has stalls. When he entered inside of one wherein the far corner and away from the doorway to the crowded look-a-like ballroom, he saw a closed lid of the toilet and sat there. 

He is glad that the each stall is fully cemented like each little bathrooms. That cemented walls were able to lower the gossips outside, but not enough to let go of his hands to his ears.

Nothing could be  more emb arrassing when you try meeting idols with a weird and sudden control of the sensory overload .  _ Like what if you meet an Avenger and  _ _ weird them out _ _ with this condition? They’l _ _ l _ _ pity you  _ _ to think you’re  _ _ weak _ _ . Mister Stark won’t even see me as the brave superhero _ _ he put upon himself. They may think he’s not worth _ _ to be- _

Peter shook his head, but painfully, and  insisting himself on calling Ned or May. 

However, he couldn’t just disrupt May’s fun time with Happy. They just got here . For the teen, it would ruin her day if he talked about this. They would have to go home and  sort it out. Relax, bathe, then go to sleep while the party went on.

Ned is still out with his family having a hike onto the woods without  technology in a week. He could still r ecall on Ned’s reaction with no  cellphone for their one-week trip .

_ “Dude, like _ _ what if you get in trouble. You won’t have the guy in a chair to help you.”  _

_ “Nah, it’s fine, dude _ _ . I can handle on my own.  _ _ It’s a bummer, but it’s fine.” _

_ “ _ _ Okay-okay-uh...  _ _ That’s not the only thing I’m worried about.” _

_ “Your Instagram? Don’t worry, it’s safe with me _ _ .” _

_ “That _ _ is specifically what I’m worried about. I shouldn’t have given you my password.” _

_ “I’m hurt that you don’t trust me with your account. Your best and only best nerd friend _ _ . _ _ ” _

_ “Alright, just don’t log in to my account, okay?” _

_ “ _ _ Course dude _ _ ” _

_ “I mean it” _

He would laugh at this point because he broke  the funny promise but it would cause more pain into the ears and  cause to be more nauseous than ever. 

And with that, he opened the lid and  took out the contents from the yesterday ’s dinner  to  today’s  lunch. And man was it  _ disgusting _ and  _ embarrassing.  _ Here- puking over the billionaire’s public toilet that may cost  more than his bunk bed. He hoped no one was beside his stall to hear this. Or even outside his stall at all. 

After puking the hell out of his  eaten foods, he used the toilet paper  to clean his mouth and flushed the vomit out of his blurry sight. Throwing the toilet paper, he tried finding the handle of the stall when his vision became more blurry than the last.  His burning throat from the vomiting  lingered to his amount of pain.

His breathing  became much more erratic .  His hearing got louder and louder that he was able to hear the  murmurs outside.

He sat on the corner of the door, whimpering as he did. He covered his ears with his hands tightly and closed his eyes. Trying to drown his heightened senses by hiding in a restroom isn’t working that much. He could still hear everything. The pouring of drinks, loud babbles, crunching of crispy snacks. It is overwhelming. God, he felt so...  _ weak. _ So  _ done _ . 

_ I should’ve brought my earplugs when I had a chance. Stupid brain for being so forgetful.  _

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He tried thinking of a way out, but he couldn’t form ideas when his senses had  dialled up ten times than before. His sweats began to pour down to the ground or unto his suit. His insides felt like they want to be thrown out of his system for the sake of taking away the pain.

There’s no way he could avoid the  loud noises outside the restroom. The  best option he could formulate is to  _ go through  _ the crowd without panicking this hard.

Trying to breathe calmly, but fail all the same, he  managed to feel the metal lock of the door without the need of his eyes \-  because it’s closed \- and he opened it up,  relieved that it didn’t creak like the door from his home. 

Peter lowered his arms but he didn’t remove his hands covering his ears , so that it would not cause suspicions of those outside.  He stood up quickly and ran  quietly to his path to the door to the  ballroom .

Unfortunately, he didn’t reach that far as he bumped into s omething. 

_ No wait. _

As  Peter recovered his stance from the rough bump, he realized that  while he bumped into something is that something produced  a sound , a groan per say .

_ It was someone. _

“What the- wait, Peter?”

_ Oh shit _

T he distinct familiar voice echoed loudly, painfully loud, to his head as he  recognized what he just stumbled upon with.

He sheepishly and disconcertingly opened his eyes, the lights had much become a role to him and its objective was to burn his eyes from too much brightness. He could only see blurry outlines and different  colors that differentiates from the rest of the restroom.

Sure was, the billionaire stood there  in front of him but he was unable to see his features, his expression. He guessed that the man must be confused and  his little part of him guessed that he must be concern ed.

Peter couldn’t stop himself to speak due to his sudden nervousness, “M-M ister Stark! I-I am so, so sorry.  I- um- I really have to go, like right now. May- I mean- I have a- uh-  I- I- I-“

“ Woah , okay. Just calm down, alright?” No way, had he panicked that hard to notice?

His eyes was burning from the light,  urging himself to close his eyes tight enough to not feel it anymore. He needs to tell to Mr. Stark, he’ll know what to do \- but he’s totally embarrassed to do so.  He took a quick inhale and spoke. He has to try.

“Mister Stark, I- the lights. It’s too bright.” He wouldn’t know on  the man’s face right now but he could tell he was still confused about him awkwardly  his hands connected his ears and his eyes clamped shut. 

It took  a few seconds until Mr. Stark responds, but not to him. “ FRI , dim the lights by  sixty -five percent. ”

Man, wa s he so glad that  his lightbulbs were adjustable.

“Okay, kid, open up your eyes.”

And that he did . He wearily  lifted his eyelids and saw his vision not killing him by burn s. The lights weren’t that dark nor too bright neither. Just right for his sight.

But the other problem is his hearing .

Someone cleared their throat, making Peter to look up  to where he heard it. 

Mr. Stark still looked  fashionable as ever \- his expensive  black tuxedo jacket, inside hid a white dress shirt with a bow tie  near his neck, his tux trousers and leather shoes .  _ You shouldn’t forget his cool looking sunglasses. He always wears that. _

Overall, he looks... just like a billionaire .

“Care to explain?” Mr. Stark questioned. 

Peter hesitated before he answered too softly to hear, “I-I have sensory overload.”

While it was excruciating to speak or hear the question, he managed with little luck to gain his composure well  towards Mr. Stark. Just to ease himself from too much humiliation.

Peter heard him hum,  incapable of knowing whether  he’s thinking or the need for more information from that  black tinted glasses. “I n-need to find a quiet place. Too loud ,” Peter practically begged without noticing it. He must’ve looked like a wimp he is . 

Mr. Stark stared at him, as if he’s observing his  looks, emotions, and reactions. Something clicked at the realization of what he said and  moved closer to the teen, careful to touch him on the shoulder to be he ld. “C’mon kid, just stick with me and you’ll survive.”

Peter didn’t know whether he should laugh or  be scared about it.

They stepped  closer to the door of the restroom.  Before  Mr. Stark pushed it, he gave Peter a  tiny squeeze of reassurance to  make him a little comfortable. For Peter though, it was very uncommon for him to give this kind of comfort , coming from the man who rarely- or barely at all- gave comfort to someone.  Usually, it would be patting on the back or a playful punch. Once both of the males entered the big room, Peter couldn’t contain the  _ loud _ \-  _ and I mean  _ ** _ loud _ ** \-  chatters and its music. The music changed into some  disco-party themed that made the crowd mostly dance. Some of them sang, which  almost caused Peter’s eardrums to explode .

Fortunately, Mr. Stark walked faster along with the teen, avoiding  the people as much as possible. With little strength Peter had, he  dealt throughout the walk, up until they got to the elevator shaft.

When the doors of the elevator shut, he enabled himself to  relax, but not to release his hands.

“FRI, turn the music off the elevator . Bring us to level  nine -private room.

The elevator  cliche music turned off .

As they ascended , Peter heard no more of anything at all , hence he slumped his  arms down with a sigh of relief. Peter cautiously leaned against the railing of the elevator shaft, trying to give a break of his body.

“So,  having sensory overload, huh?” He nearly forgot about the man who lead him this heavenly place in the first place. 

“Uh, yeah, yeah .”

“Real pain in the ass for that one . Tough luck it happened in an important event,”  Mr. Stark immediately pointed at him . “And don’t copy  my first line . I ’m a bad influence .”

Peter isn’t sure on how to respond to that, instead he let himself took a calm breathe and  leaned further. He then realizes that he had pushed  _ the  _ Tony Stark away from his party. Just becau se he had this sensory overload. “Mister Stark, I’m so, so sorry that you- I may have ruined- I mean- I had ruined your party- no, um- that I pushed you-  cooperate- I mean that you- I ’m just so  so sorry that I  made you do this. I really do. I’m sorry that I interrupted for your anniversary. I may have ruined your date with Ms. Potts, I’m  r- really sorry about that. I pro- “

“Okay, okay. Can you just zip it for just a sec? You’re giving me a migraine. ”

Mr. Stark massaged his temples  made  Peter freaked out more. He was causing a terrible  stutter to just form  _ one  _ sentence and he is ruining  Mr. Stark’s party- again- by giving him a headache because of his stupid nervous stutters.  The pure shame  swallowed to his mind as he waited for Mr. Stark to talk back.

“ First off,  you didn’t ruin my day. You just made it little better. Besides, a bad reputation will come up if I don’t help you with this problem of yours . Second off, don’t feel bad  like you’re some kicked puppy. I’ve had enough fair shares of that looks. Really, you did not exactly gave me  the headache. And that I apologize. Some  ego t ist guy thinks he can control  _ the  _ most ego t istical person on Earth by just barging in to my wife’s supposedly relaxing party and ruins the whole mood of the theme  _ relaxing. _ So yea h. Not your fault .” Peter was about to reply when he  cut  him off.  “ No- ah- ah- ah \- shut it. Not it.  Nope .  Say  it  to me- It’s not my fault. Say it.”

The boy reluctantly answered, “It’s not my  fault .. . Say it?”

“Geez, you really are  a robot who follows literally. Just relax, kid.  You have to take a breather and remember  why you’re here ,” Mr. Stark informed, giving the boy a piece of mind that he still has sensory overload. But overtime, it  is fading. His hearing were normal as he and the  philanthropist are chatting. The oversensitivity was lowering to his normal sensiti vity. His vision becomes just as normal as he naturally controlled  the spider bite’s enhanced senses  on his whole body.

Mr. Stark was able to  talk casually with Peter, with topics of  his school days and holidays after the last time they met. It was a sudden one but Peter enabled himself to talk. The teenager, as it progressed, didn’t make any nervous stutters while  babbling about his  life .  It was fun to talk to the billionaire, and yet unnerved him at the same time \- because  _ he-  _ the  ordinary  kid from a cramped apartment \- is talking to  _ the  _ Tony  _ freaking  _ Stark. Peter decided this wasn’t so bad after all. And Ned’s totally  gonna be too jealous when he comes back.

Though, he was about to talk about  his Spider-Manning when the elevator  stopped moving up and slowly opened. Confused of what room they’re  gonna enter, he asked , “Mister Stark, where are we exactly?”

Mr. Stark didn’t answer him. Instead, he walked out of the elevator  and gestured Peter to come too.  Clum sily, he stepped out to follow his mentor. It was then he realized he was walking through a lighted hallway . With his enhanced sight, he could see from not too far a  few pathways and a  metal door with a high-tech p ad beside that  is very different from other  doors and very far away  from them.

Mr. Stark removed his tux edo jacket and tie revealing his dress shirt , and just  slanged them on his shoulder. He  t old him , “You’ll see. ”

“ FRI,  open the door- C4P T41N .” 

In an instant, the farthest door that had the pad  slid opened . Peter excitedly  walked faster as both were nearing the opened door .

When they got onto the doorway, Mr. Stark told  no one, “FRIDAY,  be a dear and open up the lights. ”

For the first time, Peter startled when a disembodies feminine- and maybe robotic- voice responded , “On it, boss.”

As shown earlier, like magically for Peter, the lights  brightened up and unveiled the dark room.

It was filled with metal , iron parts , lab tables, meduim -sized  flat televisions ( _ I think they’re maybe monitors.) _ , a curved table in front and a modernized office chair . All around, Peter noticed the unfinished  works from building something and toolboxes scattered. Papers were also  strewn and the trash can  is overflown with crumpled papers.  Largely , it is a mess y room.

As Peter  gazed his surroundings with a sparkling awe , he asked, “ So, who’s the invisible lady here? Is she invisible or  did I just imagine that?”

“You think I don’t create A I ’ s? You should know better by now, kid. This place is literally  screaming ‘I know how to do everything because I’m Tony Stark and he is the smartest  scientist and best mechanic there is ’ vibe. ”

Well, he couldn’t argue with that.  Given the fact he _ created  _ the  suit lady or Peter called her KAREN to assist his battles. Why not Mr. Stark? He must ’ve been doing these  iron plates and metal laser  armors with the help of his  disembodied informative voice. Peter had the giddy  idolizing Mr. Stark more.

“Oh, s-sorry-“

“Kid, no  sorr y’s in my house, got it? ”

“R-Right, s- I mean \- what’s her- it?-  name again?”

“ I call her FRIDAY.  Great helper ,” Mr. Stark proudly said. “E xcept her protocols coming from  my woman Ms. Potts down there. She likes ruling the house, in a way.”

“It must be awesome to have an Artificial Intelligence helping you with everything. ”

“I have a lot of AI ’ s, kid. Don’t flatter yourself with no ‘s’  in my AI ’ s.”

Peter blushed momentarily in embarrassment but eyeballed back to everything he was interested. He sees Mr. Stark walk over to the curvy table. He also threw his tuxedo and his tie to the chair, as he continued doing what he’s doing that the boy couldn’t see. That is until Mr. Stark looked like he just expanded transparent blue holograms. Peter must’ve immediately thought of Star Wars of the floating 3D of maps and planets but recognized that the man is, all in all, a genius. Of course, he could do that.

“Whoa ,” Peter awed more, the holograms of the Iron-Man suit, some  of the entered  codings ,  all of its upgrades listed, and some  research texted. It was every nerd could ever dream of .

“So why am I here?” Peter’s question was ignored for a moment when Mr. Stark threw something to him that he caught it easily. “That’s for  your problem and the answer is I’m bored.” The man went back to his holograms while Peter sought the one he’d been holding.

It is the headphones. A noise- canceling headphones. “Um, Mister Stark?”

“ Hm ?”

“I- I don’t- It’s cool, really but I don’t need to. It’s gone now .”

Without looking back at the kid, he answered, “Uh, no. That is not what I meant to  convey. I know you don’t have it.”

“But why do \- you know- gave it to me?”

“You’re  smart enough. Figure it out.”

“Oh... Oh! Mister Stark ,  I really don’t need these. I already have one.”

The look on Mr. Stark’s face when he turned to him was disbelief and questioned him, “Uh- huh. Tell me, what is that kind of noise-cancelling ear plug do you have?”

“I-... Just- Just a regular earplugs . I mean, it’s fine for me though.”

Mr. Stark sighed. “Kid, just take it. You’re making me feel bad,” Mr. Stark insisted. Though it was only slight  humor right there, Peter felt guilty for making him take these expensive things just be because he told him metaphorically of ‘being poor’. It didn’t also take long to notice Peter’s guilt-stricken face.

Mr. Stark said  n othing to that, as he didn’t know how to help a guilty kid who was only  feeling like that because he just said  something normally to be taken lightly. In other words, feeling bad about someone who is feeling bad about him.

He has to find a way to get away from that kind of face. He has to change the subject.

“Hey kid,  what’s your major?”

The question left Peter  dumbstruck for a moment, as he  was only wondering about wandering the whole room to touch the stuff . “I’m great at che mistry and physics,” Peter  said.

With a stretch of his hands, he asked once more, “You know  about mechanics?”

“Yeah, I guess. I did build web shooters. And I am from a school mostly involving Science and Robotics, so I guess... Yeah,” Peter answered. And that gave Mr. Stark the opportunity. He knew the kid had a knack for their subject Science. He created his webbing that is stronger than a normal spider web from his school. He built web shooters. He was top of the class in a STEM school despite calling him a nerd. And he is, after all, one of the members in his Decathlon team. He was also told by Happy Peter had been the smartest of them all. 

If only Peter would just  take a little break from suiting up as Spider-Man , that is.

“ Great ,  c’mere . I  wanna show you something ,”  Mr. Stark gestured to come forward and Peter obeyed. He  put his  hea \-  _ Tony Stark’s  _ headphones on the coffee table just near him and  walked to the man. On the curvy table, the holograms  represented the parts of an Iron-Man suit.  _ Probably he’s working on. _

Then something from the texts of the holograms spiked his interest. It made him also geek of nerdy desires.

“You’re making a suit with  nanotechnology? !” Peter had his jaw wide open at the holographic screen was showing.

The man  removed his dark glasses  to show...

His eyes... it almost reminisces of someone he had encountered before. His lower eyelids had dark circles. If possible, it is much darker than Peter used to see from Mr. Stark that last meeting. It wasn’t noticeable, but Peter could see enough. He had confronted this when he was little. He knew what this meant. He didn’t get any observation further when the man scoffed, “Look who you’re talking to.”

Peter ignored his remark and focused on him as he placed down the glasses on the table. He contemplated on asking about it but decided to keep his mouth shut if that involves personal reasons.

The boy went back thinking about the term  _ nano _ _ _ and  _ technology. _ He never had the materials to have advanced upgrades to his suit. The least good he could create was red and blue  pajamas with a google mask and his web shooters coming from their dump. Recently, with Mr. Stark’s help, he got all the upgrades he ever wanted it to his alter ego. 

At least, that’s what he thought before.

Now that he saw Mr. Stark’s update for his  armor , he has the selfish part of him that he wanted the nanotech for his own. But, of course, he wouldn’t mention that to the billionaire. He gave him everything he needed for. Peter stopped his train of thought when Mr. Stark started talking, “So I  wanna have another pair of hands here. This-“ Mr. Stark pointed at the torso of the  armor , very specifically on the middle: the  _ Arc Reactor.  _ The one that powered his suit. The one that made the man live for a long time. Peter could even think of his mentor a cyborg during their first meeting. “-I have to be very circumspect about putting a prototype of an Arc Reactor to see if it’ll overpower to self-destruct or will fit as a working Iron- Armor . Or the chance it’ll break the connecting  nanocircuitry .” 

Peter knew this was a big thing going on. A big project considering the one of the rarest to ever manipulate to a working complete full of technological atoms and molecules. Peter had been told  nanoelectronics are hard to develop or impossibly invent. Maybe  _ hard  _ was the of the iceberg. Something that is very almost impossible to grasp to manufacture.

Though for Tony Stark,  it’s something to not be called like that.

“You  wanna take the risk?”

He would’ve said something sarcastic like:  _ I’m Spider-Man, I run dangers all the time  _ or  _ Don’t you know who created strong webbings to even get you stuck on my doorknob that needs help escaping?  _

But, he’s not close enough to converse with the man like that. Peter truly idolized Iron-Man and Tony Stark at the beginning of his career as a hero to fighting an alien invasion. From the time he had worn the fake plastic Iron-Man mask and gloves that imagined him to be powerful to defeat the evil robots at the age of eight to meeting him in person so that he could aid against the rogue group of Avengers at the age of fourteen.

Finally, he gleefully answered, “Sure ”

He wasn’t sure how long he had been working on Mr. Stark’s project. It was  hella difficult. But, in a way, it helped ease his mind from something he had to remove. Away from  _ that  _ thought, it gave him peace to not be frazzled or panic over everything. He got a point that he  provided suggestions for Mr. Stark’s suit that really gave him  more ideas to update. Mr. Stark may have mentally noted those  recommendations to look after later.

So when Peter caught something in his eye on the  holoscreen was a good number of mathematical equations had already answered fully. But not completely right. He noticed that one of the answers is wrong, the problem was clear enough to solve it again. Mentally, Peter- filled with determination to make Mr. Stark proud- thought of the solution. He got it by the few minutes and entered it to its coding, where suddenly he saw the  nanites tested as it flows like millions of ants covering the fake body mannequin on the blue transparent screen.

“ Whad d ya know. You got it ,” Mr. Stark praised with Peter jumped in surprise. He thought that the man is still working on some adjustments but  a part of him the man glanced at his gist of the work every now and then. “ Nice work, kid.”

That compliment is so simple.  Yet, very reminiscing his moments back then. 

_ When he was only a young boy thinking that he could conquer the robots that made the people in the event scurry away. But Peter. That very little child stood up and didn’t run away. Rather, he raised his arms, his mask and eyes stared at the machine and readied to shoot with his hand blasters. Suddenly, he saw the impact of the blast, the robot fell broken. Peter jolted from the shot, then he saw to his left The Iron-Man. The hero looked at him briefly, before the Iron-Man complimented him. _

_ “Nice work, kid.” _

_ He flew away. _

It is one of the memorable and yet maybe best moments of his life.

Peter continued to impress the inventor by helping with the wrong little but significant details of the Iron suit. It was hard digging through the code. Peter hoped that Ned was here to help. He’s great at hacking codes. Not that Peter is an idiot in it. Ned is just a better computer programmer than he is. Peter is primarily good with mechanics and chemistry all the same. He did manage to right the wrong of the suit, after all.

“ Now  those are fully operating , your job  here is done.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I only needed this to  construct and assemble.  I’ll have my newly advanced  nano suit ,”  Mr. Stark  said. 

Peter hesitated to ask about the tiniest thing, “So what  do you call it then ? ”

“Well since the last time it’s called Mark 49.  It should be the obvious Mark 50.”

Peter  laughed , “Seriously? That’s how you \- wait you got  forty-nine Iron-Man suits?” Peter looked around the lab but found no suits stored or displayed.

Mr. Stark huffed and answered, “You can’t see those anymore. I destroyed them. All of them those few years back. Except for the Mark 47 and 46. They’re still good back-ups in case you  _ drown, _ ” Mr. Stark emphasized the last word, making Peter’s mood downwards. 

He admitted it. It was his fault to capture dealers who deal alien tech without calling an official Avenger to deals with alien stuff. Made himself encounter the Vulture and dropped onto the lake with the supposed parachute to save him but worsened the situation. He was lucky that his mentor had a tracker on his suit and got him before he would really drown. Lucky that Mr. Stark saved the people in the Ferry because of Peter’s stupidity of not thinking through.

“I- sor \- I mean I apologize,” Peter  facepalmed . While Mr. Stark snorted, “Nice choice of words, Mister Parker.”

“Wait, so  does that mean I can say apologize? ”

“Funny, but no. Same difference. ”

He miss ed  the wry smile  that plastered onto Mr. Stark’s face when he almost  pouted and  gave a mumbled groan.

“ Uhm \- back to the topic at hand.  Lemme rephrase again: Seriously? That’s how you name it?”

“Hey now,  I wouldn’t be saying that if  I’m someone who named their hero name Spider-Man and his  spider onesie .” Mr. Stark  smirked.

Peter cringed at the  truthful statement . “Okay. Fair and ouch.  But I could say the same for you for someone who is almost on his 60s ,” Peter  talked back and smirked himself.

Mr. Stark narrowed his eyes, seemingly it didn’t feel  like anger. Then, he shrugged it off, “ Touché. ”

“Why couldn’t you call it like-  Forma quanta or something like that?”

The older scoffed but with no heat, “Huh, yeah? Why call it that? Because this  armor shows th e formation smallest part of the planet into one  suit of  armor ?”

“Well, y-yeah.” 

Mr. Stark pondered for a few seconds until he shook his head, “Too nerdy. Far from  badassery .”

Peter pouted, “Well how about ...”

Peter glanced back to his own work, one where the prototype shows some of its technical advancements involving nanoparticles forming a sharp crimson edge of the hand. 

“Red Quantic,  Crimson  Edge...” Peter named everything he could come up to with Mr. Stark answering  ‘no’ because it’s ‘stupid’ he says.

As the boy kept calling names for  _ god how many long minutes _ , Mr. Stark finally had the satisfaction coming from one of the names Peter  named.

“Shrapnel Nano- Nano Shrapnel although I just realized I could bring up bad memories- I’m  sor -.... um right- out of topic so, Bleeding Edge, Bad-“

Mr. Stark cut him off, “ Woah ,  woah ,  wait for just a sec.  Tell me the last one . ”

Peter widened his eyes at the recognition Mr. Stark  _ did  _ listen to his  ramble of names he could come up. He  _ didn’t  _ ignore it . Or, at least that’s what he  thought of.

“ Bada - ...?”

“No, before that,” Mr. Stark released  his  screwdriver from his hands and fully  looked on the kid.

“Uh... Bleeding Edge?”

The older man clicked his tongue , “Now that sounds almost to a badass. FRIDAY?”

“Yes, boss?”

“ Could you please change the name  ‘ P roject: Nanotech ’ to ‘ P roject: Bleeding Edge’ ? ”

“ Project : Bleeding Edge is saved, sir,” FRIDAY immediately replied.

“Kid, since you have passed my many amazing tests I would consider yo u to have  a personal _ _ internship.”

... _ What? _

“What?  But Mr. Stark I already have the-“

Mr. Stark shook his head and raised his palm to stop his sentence. “No  no no no . I meant you could go here and have the time of your life spending the rest of my babies all over here in  _ my _ personal workshop. It’s one time a dream ticket for your  teenagehood . By adult, you’ll work just fine,” He said as he gestured all of his stuff- the whole workshop.

Peter gaped. He never considered ever working as an intern to the billionaire.  It’s just the internship part was only a cover-up. A cover-up to the public that whenever Spider-Man is needed , Peter will be excused using Mr. Stark’s convincing excuses. It had fooled May and his school so far.  Until Peter decided to have his Parker Luck  appear in the worst  timing with Ned and May.  Man, is he a bad liar. It’s a miracle no one ever bothered about it.

“ Wh -What?  I-I-“

“Just give the simplest answer you could muster:  An enthusiastic Yes or a grim gloomy No?” Mr. Stark wiped his hands from a dirtied towel beside him while Peter is still slack-jawed about the offer.

_ Where is that Parker Luck? Because this must be a dream. Right, this  _ _ must _ _ be a dream. Made by some  _ _ senseless hope to ever, ever consider- _

“Y-Yes!” Ironically, the answer was an enthusiastic Yes. It was Peter dreamed of since he became a total nerd by high school. He admired the billionaire with his heroics, wits, and genius. He observed most pieces of his  armor to know how it works or functions. He hoped for a day he could be a mentee of his  favorite hero, that he would teach him some of the college terminologies for his future and show one of his suits he used.

“And don’t worry, kid. Your intellect is way good for your paygrade. And yes-“ Mr. Stark pointed out before Peter could say anything. “I’ll be paying you. It’s hard living out there in Queens, no offense about that but  _ that _ thing of yours,” He pointed at Peter’s forehead. “Is a great potential to whoever owns you. Actually, you could take the name of a new company. Parker Industries, sound good enough?”

It is his future, after all. If Mr. Stark said he’s got a great life coming out there in New York, then he’ll know he is reassured by his upcoming adulthood. When he was a kid, he sometimes feared of growing up into an adult. Of what May and Ben had been through of taking care of him with balancing their jobs, it was always the taxes and bills for their apartment. Bills for their water. Bills for electricity. Mostly they need to have jobs because of everything their needs. Peter was afraid of all of it. That fear started fading when he tried forgetting it. Then started back up when he began being Spider-Man. He swears on his life that this other life of his would never ever consider as his job. He just wouldn’t reveal his identity just to have income. He promises that on Ben ever since.

He answered, “It does.”

Mr. Stark clapped, “Well, I think we should schedule this by \- what?  Weekends?”

With new found excitement, he nodded. “Yeah, that-that would be great. Awesome, maybe.”

“Sure there’s no hassle on your homework?”

“I’m sure the hassle part is traffic.”

“ Good,  Happy’s a great driver. He’ll take you here.”

“Is it good to get Happy drive every weekend for me ? I mean, he’s too grumpy and the looks as if he would throw me out of the car windo w . ”

Mr. Stark shrugged, “Just don’t  bother him that much. Your texts and calls are enough for his  short-tempered brain to handle.”

Peter hummed and  nodded in response.

“ Also , d on’t worry  about the  location . We’re  gonna work at the tower.”

Peter widened his eyes. “ _ The  _ Avengers Tower? The one you sold for  this?”

He regretted the repeat of what he said  when Mr. Stark had a quick sullen face, but  smiled later on.  Of course the civil war is still raw to this day. It had only been  four or five months after that happened. It broke him to see the Avengers are no longer... The Avengers anymore.  While he admired Iron-Man, it’s not an easy feat to not like Captain America. He is the moral of America. The model of an American . Whether he’s Steve Rogers or Captain America , he is always the literal saint.  But then he allied with his long lost best friend, who also had  been Hydra’s pet. The Winter Soldier. He became a fugitive. A criminal. The opposite of Captain America’s doing. He wished that  they’ll be together someday. But that was just a childish fantasy . However, it wouldn’t hurt to hope. 

“ Yeah. Can’t have your home and the Compound be together in your  gonna -be-everyday life.  I still live there, anyways.  Didn’t exactly saw any buyers for it. So in actuality, I still own it.  O ne last thing is asking permission to your Aunt  Hottie out there.” Peter swore he had heard a tinge of fear by that statement. That didn’t surprise him much. May did try to kick his ass at that time of the meeting and Peter had to wait it out. 

On the other hand, May isn’t really to be a big fan of Tony Stark. She could or most likely would not, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. He had been waiting for this moment to come and will not miss the opportunity.  _ I mean, I could help May with the bills. So that’s a win. _

“Sure! I’ll tell her,” Peter agreed .

The conversation of the offer ended after Mr. Stark told to have another task for him to work with since he’s  gotta be the new intern for him, he’ll need to be prepared for the work.

* * *

That did. Peter is a fast learner.

He managed to get the problems just right. His equations weren’t mostly off and got the suit to perform well. Tony  started mentoring him along the way, too. With the knowledge of his suit, he  elucidate s the bits and pieces of the  crucial parts of the machinery. 

Tony  did not get bored  throughout their works. Peter’s beaming curiosity  about all of his  demonstrations and  explanations seem to give the urge to w ork more with him. Someone with his same interests and doings had reminded him of someone who had been gone since  2015\. He’s glad the kid was able to help him  get the same feeling back then. It had been so long ever since someone adored  the details of every project he had created. 

That’s why he didn’t get  bored. He was enjoying it instead. 

Boy, is it going to be fun working with his newly  applied intern. And he’s just a high schooler, too. Usually, interns of SI has to be  the range of  18 and older .  Somehow- somehow- this kid, a fifteen-year-old kid, got the job of older teenagers had wanted to have. 

And all the while he observed the boy, the kid could be perceived as a college student by now. Possibly an MIT student. 

He wondered why the kid didn’t want to accelerate to college. He could’ve been the same position at MIT when he was fifteen. When he questioned that though to Peter, he shook his head saying, “I decided I wanted a normal life. May said to me that I don’t have to rush my education because I’m still young and told  me I need friends with the same age as mine even though I have the smarts. She’s right though, it would be bad if I got to college and everyone will see me as a kid.” 

It was true actually, to normal advanced students. However Tony Stark is an exceptional boy back then. He started being a college student when he was the age of Peter’s. It was scary at first for Tony. But as time passed, he got the routine. He wasn’t being treated like a kid, in a way. He’s a Stark. The Stark name scared others instead. It was going smoothly. And corrupted him so easily. With a piece of charming luck, he got  Rhodey that time. He was the only one he could mostly trust in the beginning. 

It would be frightening to have no one on your side if you’re on that position as only a normal student, unlike Tony. Maybe that’s how Peter specified about accelerating grades.

“FRIDAY, could you bring me up a drink?” 

_ I really, really need one right now. _

* * *

During those hours of work, they  got to a point to talk casually to each other.

Peter started  telling him about his time being Spider-Man and  told him that he  rescued a bunch of people on a burning building, stopped a guy from doing something real nasty to the innocent,  saved all the hostages from a bank robbery.

Simultaneously, Mr. Stark , while drinking his alcohol (made Peter inwardly cringe at the stench of it) , almost  laughed because little did the kid know he  heard to all those calls those weeks ago  that Happy always sends him. He knows of these already. Though, he isn’t that evil to break the kid’s prideful look when he  blabbered on being a hero. So, he  listened just for the hell of it.

Afterward, Mr. Stark told about his days after their last meeting too. He said that Vision made a lot of meals that mostly weren’t edible, but some managed to be delicious. Although, Peter didn’t know whether to laugh about it or not because Vision, to him, is just a cool neutral awesome android that does laser beams. 

He also mentioned about the new suit that was supposedly for Peter to wear for the Avengers offer , that he would -for Peter in return from his work with his newly  nano suit-  make it with nanoparticles too. 

Peter couldn’t have been internally  and extremely  fanboying . He wouldn’t tell Mr. Stark  that. He’s already gone too much geek phases in just one luxurious laboratory.

All in all, it was an awkward conversation at the beginning, if Peter were to be honest.  But it got  the feeling of normal people just normally chatting their daily lives to the point they didn’t know one is talking to  a billionaire and one is talking to an average kid.

Between those  conversations, Peter distinctly  noticed of how  unrecognizable his  looks of tiredness and... something.  He was, by far, a great mask even without it.  Mr. Stark may be  a hard shell. But all things crack like a tough jawbreaker. And Mr. Stark is no exception. Peter saw through that metaphorical mask of his.

Peter experienced those actions  of ignorance. He  experienced that many times throughout his childhood.

For the boy, it is concerning and it has to stop.

He blurted out his thoughts without a doubt anymore.

“Mr. Stark... are you okay?”

It took time for the man to start answering the question because he  was  still busy building the iron plate on the torso  of the suit. He  says then casually, “Uh- yeah. Why ask?”

_ He said it as if it is obvious.  _

Clearly for Peter, it’s just a  _ mask. _

He began twiddling his fingers, now nervous of asking further because the observation could possibly just  overanalysing it or maybe he’s just drunk . “Mr. Stark, not to be rude, but you seem very tired. Like dead tired.”

Mr. Stark stopped abruptly until he  spoke, “Kid, it’s normal for someone to have the condition of ‘dead tired’, so to speak. I hav e work and adults are like this.  Jesus, it’s not a big problem. You act like Pep, here. And I’m just pointing out a reasonable reason as to why I \- Look, can you focus down there ? It’s the white wire. Turn it up and plug it in.” Peter didn’t question that and obeyed as he structuralized  the wires well enough to not bother other wirings.

_ He’s babbling. _

Th e kid didn’t stop his questions though, “Mr. Stark, that... this hobby is not normal.”

“ Hm ? I’m sure an inventor is pretty used to this kind of hobbies.” He drank.

“No, I meant... Something is bothering you.”

“The accords and SI- definite yes that’s bothering me. ” Mr. Stark  left the almost empty Scotch.

Before Peter could complain, Mr. Stark  raised his palm up. “Now hold up. Let me ask  _ you _ a question, instead. You ready for it?” His tone got dark by the end of it.  He seemed pretty calm. He was slurring too

_ Well, that was a sudden move to avoid a subject. It’s not like it’s not  _ _ obvious  _ _ that  _ _ he’s avoiding it.  _

When Peter decidedly nodded,  the man asked, “ How would  _ you  _ feel if your one-time family friend  betrays you ?”

The tense silence really raised  anxiety for the both of them. Peter  kept prodding and this is his punishment. Because almost-  _ almost _ – he didn’t know  the answer.

“I- I would-“

He didn’t seem to know because it was random. Very much personal too.

There is good news and bad news when you’re cut off . The good news is that you don’t need to care about the earlier unknown answer. The bad news is  that he’ll question you more.

“Tell me. How  would you ...” He nonchalantly left his work and walked closer to the kid. 

Peter took a step back, staring at the dead  eyes of a devastated man.

“How would you deal with your ally that he had been ditching behind your back and turned out to lie about your parent’s murder  _ because  _ he told it was protecting you?  _ Sparing you?  _ Huh?” Peter didn’t speak as he was frozen under the fiery angered Mr. Stark’s gaze. He didn’t speak when he got closer. He didn’t speak when he raised his hand. He didn’t speak when he pointed his index finger on his chest, hard. He was still, as a frozen caveman.  (Or maybe like an icicle Captain America.)

"That your ally would betray you for his friend's freedom to break his own friends!" This time, he merely slammed his clenched fist to the metallic curvy table scaring Peter in the process but made no move or reaction towards him

He let him speak.

He let him brag.

He let him scream.

Because he knows he needed this.

Mr. Stark kept ranting about Mr. Rogers and his friend. He turned away and talked in a melodramatic way. "He said that we'd do all of our space problems together. Look where he ended up! In fucking pathetic freedom because for the sake of his murderer friend. In a living wasteland because he couldn't sign the accords. He wouldn't listen and he wouldn't care either way. Then, he gave me a flip phone that I quote 'When you need us, when you need me, just call. And I'll be there'. Well, I want to throw it away for all I care! For all you know, they'll just be in the Raft, suffering the consequences of their rebellion when I'm just trying to h-help them!" He  hiccupped and slurred his words, while Peter stepped forward with knitted eyebrows of concern. He guessed that being drunk doesn’t always  forget problems. They too  reveal stuff they weren’t supposed to say.

Mr. Stark is faced away from Peter, away from his view. He walked  disconcertingly, distanced from Peter. He caught the scotch and drank all of the contents hungrily, and threw it off the wall breaking the bottled glass to shards.

"Then, my fucking brain  was d eluded to think I'll call or he'll help. I wanted none of it. None of it! He fucking chose his path. To break the Avengers. Now, I'm drowning myself with papers of the accords. Vision’s being  inactive because of that  Maximo ff . Rhodey’s still incapacitated! And me? Ha!” He laughed hysterically for a moment, with Peter  convulsed  because of the emotion set in.  He wasn’t even sure  Mr. Stark knew there was someone here. Someone looking at him as if he’s a maniac.

_ Take it easy, Peter. It’s the alcohol. _

Peter’s afraid this isn’t letting it all out. This is  hurting him instead.

He finally spoke, “Mr. Stark-“

“ ** WHAT ** ** ?! ** ”

It was tearful. Tear-jerking.  Painful. It hurt to Peter that Mr. Stark, fuelled with  his rage from the past, started shouting at him like he’s the enemy. Like he’s a stranger danger. It hurt that Mr. Stark  unexpectedly collapsed, Peter readily caught him and called him if he’s still there. Conscious and aware.

Peter didn’t know what to say. The civil war was never about him. It was about between two men who had been as a team,  now the real  colors came out. Betraying and lying.  Murder and Brainwashed.  Separation or decimation. Mostly causes of a war.  Disagreements ,  traitors, and  empty apologies. 

But, he could answer in a different way.

“Mr. Stark?” He called.

The head of a sobered man rose up to direct at his own serious and  worried face. Mr. Stark looked so obviously tired, from everything he guessed. 

Mr. Stark , under a few  seconds of realization, stood up suddenly. Peter followed  and looked at the man’s eyes. 

Mr. Stark had his eyes widened and  starstruck . He loomed to doom at the recognition of what happened.

“Kid, shit, I’m sorry .” His word s fully turned 180 from blown anger to heavy regret . He backed away and turned, his back facing Peter with his hands massaging his temples. 

_ Great,  _ _ Anthony _ _ . You just scared a child.  _ _ You’re  _ _ gonna _ _ be the next Howard _ _ for today’s generation. _

And he looked to be, from what happened here.  Peter getting intimidated. Himself brashly ruined the workshop table. Yelled at the innocent kid who just wanted to be with his mentor. 

His fear settled deep through his stomach, the lowly creeping realization of his father’s legacy will be passed to him. And maybe passed to Peter’s. But he couldn’t let that happen. He swore to himself he wouldn’t be like Howard before. He knew that his father in his childhood was only being harsh because he wanted to  _ improve  _ to be like him. To be Howard. The Young Tony always wanted to impress Howard. Every day, he tried striving to succeed so that he could just see the proud smile of a father. And then it slows down, increasing his rebelliousness and displease towards him. He despised him. Hated him since. Now, he tried making it better. Be a better mentor. Be a better father-figure. Unfortunately, the Howard inside him still lingers. And it will always destroy the people he loved. 

Now, this is Peter. The kid he mistakenly recruited so that he could just put the damn reasoning inside his ex-friend’s damn head. That he’ll start a war. It’s not only Steve’s fault but his too. He forced to join the kid to a  _ war. _ A fucking war. Full of superheroes. Not trucks and cars and robbers. But two teams of superheroes. His idols, even. It made Tony plead guilty through and through. And now look at here. Peter became his apprentice and his intern. The next boss to lead Stark Industries. However, he just fucking couldn’t. Because he’s the new Howard and Peter will be the Young Tony. It’s disgusting, to say the least. Disgusting that he’ll infect this child no matter what he does. Intentionally or unintentionally. He’ll rip the child into pieces until he perfects himself as Howard did to Young Tony. 

“Mr. Stark? ” Swallowing the lump on his throat, he nearly was about to say something not good.

_ God _ _ .  _ _ oh God _ _ . I fucking almost lost it. In front of a fucking child. My _ _ supposedly _ _ newly intern. _

There were no words exchanged for the  gloomy room. It smelled regret, guilt, and suffering. And maybe even betrayal.

“Are you still friends with Mr. Rogers?” It was really a funny and stupid question coming from a teenager who witnessed most of what was going onto  the fight between them .  But i n actuality, Peter, the media, and other Avengers haven’t known about the scene in Siberia. The scene where he ended up trying to kill the murderer of his parents. Trying to kill his supposed friend’s friend, who is a murderer. Then there’s the scene where he was  enraged to kill. Because he was just triggered.  _ Triggered _ _ . _ That shouldn’t be Iron-Man. Iron-Man doesn’t kill people . He saves them. He  serves justice, not vengeance.  _ But.  _ He wasn’t that hero. He wasn’t the suit of  armor flying through the ci ty of New York.  Flying and seeing the  citizens  relieved with the presence of  an Avenger.  No, he wasn’t that time in Siberia. He was Tony Stark. An orphaned young adult who lost his parents at twenty-one. Who didn’t know who killed them. Who  had been lied to about how his parents died. Who had taken the mantle of his despicable father ’s company and became the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist like Howard.  He was Anthony Edward Stark when he almost cried at the sight of the death of his parents.

So, yeah, he hated Steve Rogers.

... But did he really?

Had he really?

For all what’s happening to him for the past few months,  the overly addiction of consumption of cocktails to  scotch. The sleeping pills he messily took every night but failing to sleep better. The  bitter feeling of mentions of the  Sokovia Accords and the rogue Avengers.  Sleepless nights and continued bad habits of locking himself in his own personal  lab. And even right now, ditching his girlfriend’s party anniversary and stayed up here with Peter  had kept him only for a distraction to escape the crowded room.

He didn’t hate Steve at the least . He did hate him on that specific place in Siberia. He lied. So it was just to spare him.  But... truthfully, it  did spare his friend. The Winter Soldier. Tony hated him more when he found out  the  _ truth _ . He tried  _ blasting  _ him. Trying to  _ kill  _ him. That wasn’t supposed to be the work of Iron-Man. At all.  The action was irrational  and common  to an extent, that Steve was right . However, he couldn’t forgive Rogers for lying to him. He could’ve said it sooner.  That was Rogers fault, in a way. He didn’t know the consequences  and just merely followed the murderer. Along with a bunch of his friends. That was Steve’s mistake.

On the other hand, Steve did as much as he as could. But he couldn’t forgive him. And may never be . 

The Tony after the war really doubted his decision upon the Accords that then. Because he  was taken away  from one of the most important of his life . He  _ missed _ them. All of them. The Avengers. The team who saved  countless people from alien invasions to  evil robots. And when they took a relaxation at their Avengers Tower, they usually  had time as people. Not like citizens who treat them highly, but in their world , they act so  family-friendly. 

For the most part, Tony agreed on the Accords. Because he knows what the heroes  can pull destruction and risk thousands of lives. They had to be held accountable.  He knew that after the mistake he did with  Ultron and  Sokovia .

So, all of what Tony did say wasn’t mostly true at all, was it?

_ Fuck _ , Tony thought that increased his sickening headache.

“Look, kid. I don’t  wanna talk about-“

“ My aunt used to look like that,” Peter quietly said, but enough to  follow Tony’s attention to him.

Peter, in Tony’s view,  appeared so very small . He had his head bowed down,  the  face couldn’t really register what  look he  had there. His arms wrapped around  his chest as if he’s in a cold situation.  And from the sight of it, Tony sees a child. A child that had been scolded and  looked down in guilt and shame. 

Maybe that’s the same feeling Peter is now too. 

It took Tony  an instant of what Peter told him.

“What?”

“I just-“ Peter rubbed his  left arm by his other hand. “Your eyes. They almost look the same when May grieved for... y’know , Uncle Ben.”

Peter rarely  talked about his uncle. It was one of the rules Tony mentally noted to not  bother . After all, his death had only been too raw for them even for  a  year ago. 

Tony saw Peter  acknowledged his  sl ightly stunned stare and sighed . “ When May came home from work after the week Ben’s funeral,  that’s when I saw the differences  in her actions. ”  Ton y stood awkwardly , biting his lip.

“She looked so tired.  _ Dead tired. _ No-Not like when adults exhaust themselves from their jobs.  She was  flinching. She was  becoming distant, gone in  reality whenever she thinks. She was still caring about me, but not what it used to be. Her unstable emotions  ended when I  got up at late night, I saw her at the kitchen corner  crying while holding a bottle of wine . She screamed at me . Said that  it was my fault.”

A sullen silence encouraged the room. Until Tony asked, “Did... Were you okay? ”

It was a pretty stupid question, really. But he had to stop the kid’s unusual  quietness. He couldn’t stand  it. He was so used to a brightly gleaming teenager who adored his idol that whenever he was with him.

Peter t ilted his head away from Tony’s eyes and gulped . He answered, “ I t wasn’t easy. She was able to be consciou s after she screamed at me and after she fell asleep.  I was there sitting  till morning until she saw me and realized  what she said last night.  May cried and I  wanted  not to attend school to comfort her.  We had a rough day, but I was able to talk her out of it.”

“Did it work?”

“It did, but it took slowly. Ma y spent her Sundays on a therapy. I continued going to school.”

There was one lingering question in Tony’s mind.  That wasn’t told in the story. That was  supposed to be told.

“What about you?”

“I-I managed it. Ned helped me. I’m fine.”

“Kid, I can tell what’s a fine . Surely, you think I’m not that much of an idiot.”

Tony crossed his arms, showing the desperation of an answer. Not anger, but a strike of concern. Peter got the language and glanced at him.

“I- I wasn’t. I kept the grief for myself. It wasn’t until I had acted what May had done those days. She noticed it after a few months and came to talk to me in return. We worked it out too. I wasn’t in... I wasn’t crying often and got Ned to help me once again. I got to move on after that.”

Tony didn’t see himself as he stepped closer to the kid and held out  his hand to the  fidgety kid’s shoulder.  He surprised himself by feeling immense  sadness to the situation. 

Pepper had tried helping him too. Trying to stop his unhealthy habits from becoming his habits. Trying to confront his  behaviors . Trying sooth him at night whenever he couldn’t sleep. She was even trying to convince that he didn’t need to hold it every day. That he needs to move on and keep the focus on the SI, the Accords, and to her and  Rhodey . She was desperate to stop him from getting to the brink of collapse.

While Peter. ..

Peter ’s own situation of loss handled . But Tony didn’t.

“So Mr. Stark,” Peter started.

Peter gazed at him with his desperate eyes just like Pepper’s.

“Please, let’s just talk.”

Tony inhaled deeply , feeling the heavy weight in his heart and mind lifted off...

As he  talked it out on the kid.

And you know what’s funny? Is that he, Tony Stark, had the money to get  the most expensive therapies he could take. But that he couldn’t talk about  its personal truths to the expert therapist. Because he  wasn’t comfortable talking to someone he doesn’t particularly know  despite the goal of the listener is to let the victim  talk it out.  Meanwhile , this kid \- the stubbornly stupid little superhero- had the audacity to be his listener. To let him feel the  faults weren’t only his. To exert the tremendous guilt off his chest. And it  _ miraculously _ _ fucking _ worked. Somehow, he felt comfortable enough to talk to his intern. To  tell him the truth of his panic attacks and the pain from splitting the Avengers. To tell  that he had nightmares of Steve and  the others leaving him. And to tell the scene of Siberia.  The one that hit home.

And Peter intensely listened. He didn’t g iv e a look of awe or  admiration. It was all focus and determination. A person that could be a g ood therapist .

Peter hadn’t stopped him from  bursting out every once in a while. He hadn’t held his hand up to process what he said. It was as if he is used to  doing this.  And that may be  most likely on his aunt. 

And he had shown relation to his story too.  About his parents' death and Peter’s.  Tony, too, had wanted to stop and let Peter tell his backstory of his family before he became an orphan. Just like Tony. But not on ages.

When it came on talking to Siberia, he lastly  said, “I still had the phone.”

Peter noticed that the grown silence  appeared. That meant he was to reply. “The phone?”

“ Capsicle’s flip phone from the seventies. You know how he couldn’t deal with the phones of this generation. He doesn’t even know touchscreen and it cringes right to my mechanical heart because I had to watch a caveman know a  _ phone _ .” 

Instead of chuckling, Peter stared genuinely confused. “And why did he...?” 

“He gave me this-“ Tony practically snatched his phone from the pockets of his pants and showed to Peter. “-to call if I need help. Which I won’t because I’m capable of handling stuff. How dare he underestimates my arrogance, pride, and ability. You know what I mean?” Tony almost laughed as he joked about it. But what Peter gave is furrowed eyebrows. He was thinking. Staring at the flip phone.

But Tony spoke, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

Tony gazed while Peter snapped back by  gaining the eyes’ attention to the man.

“Oh. Oh no- I mean. Did-Did -? How long have you had that phone?”

“ About a week ago after the civil war.”

“No. How long did you keep that phone to yourself?”

Tony anxiously glared at Peter, even though it wasn’t his fault. Peter was close to  getting  what it meant. Such a detective.

“What do you mean, kiddo? ” 

Peter sighed, “How-How long did you keep it to your self? How long did you hold it  for safekeeping?”

Tony hadn’t had the answer. Because he was  unknowingly afraid.

It was true. He kept the phone every day. He hid it from Ross and from everyone besides Pepper and  Rhodey . He ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the phone stuck to his pocket. He slept with it. He drove with it. He worked while the phone is in his personal pocket. Everything that leads up to something. And that something was clinging to the last lifeline of bringing back the Avengers. That he could hope for a rebuild of the broken family. That he may have hoped to reach to Steve and others to come back home. The flip phone was his lifeline on his relationship with the Avengers who left him. It was why he had it at all times. 

For once, he couldn’t begin himself to speak to it. And Peter understood. Verily understood the problem. “I know you’re not up to telling that but you don’t need to. I understood.”

Tony just unconsciously nodded along.

Peter changed the subject.

“You  wanna watch a movie?”

Tony  whipped his head faster than it should and stared at the boy sheep ish boy , as if he had grown two heads. “What?”

“I \- I just want to- you know have fun for the night. Since you don’t  wanna go down.”

“Why watch? We can just stay here.”

“But-But I’m bored ,” Peter dramatically whined like a teenage r had been stolen his phone.  Much to Peter’s relief,  Tony scoffed in  slight amusement,  “Sure. Don’t go emo on me, kid. I don’t want  bratty teenagers in my  living room .”

“I’m not that much of a brat ,” Peter  pouted as he walked over to his headphones. 

“’Not that much’ is what I’m dreading.”

Both laughed.

Tony hid the phone in his drawer.

And they turned off the lights of the lab and went to the living room.

* * *

“No. I get to pick. My house, my rules.”

“But, Mr. Stark. You shouldn’t treat your houseguest this way.”

“Like I said: My house, my rules. I don’t care for houseguests anyways. Now  get me my popcorn, pronto.”

Peter  walked grumpily and said something unintelligible. Tony wouldn’t tell him that he  heard the ‘unfair’.

Tony sat on the couch with his polo shirt and jacket that made him much more comfortable. His jogging pants looked like  it’s his trousers.

His dress shirt and trousers are on the  pile of shirts near the door where Pepper usually picks it up. But that doesn’t happen often. Sometim es, it was him who gets to take it out of fear.

Tony praised himself for having a much larger television than a 4k  HDR .  It’s much convenient that it looked like he’s in a cinema. Peter had his mouth on the ground when he saw it.

“I got the popcorn, Mr. Stark!” Peter called as he showed up his prom suit and two bowls of popcorn.

They settled themselves .

“So what movie did you pick?”

Tony  smirked, “How about  Hereditary ?”

“Uh- nope. I’m  gonna yeet myself  outta here if you do.”

“ Yeet ?” Tony raised his eyebrows. “That’s a word?”

“ Uh. Whoops. Sorry. It’s just a meme that- ”

Tony waved his hand  in dismissal . “ I don’t  wanna hear it. I’ve heard of memes of this generation and I can’t even understand the  humor in it.”

“Welcome to 2016, I guess.” Peter sheepishly shrugged.

“ FRIDAY, pick...”

It took minutes for Tony to answer while Peter , annoyed and awkwardly, groaned internally.

“You know what? I have no idea. How about you pick?” It wasn’t true though. Tony had  many ideas to implore for Peter ’s horror , but  suddenly he brought a thought of the kid having his own  pick since he ’s his  _ intern _ now. 

Peter  snapped back to his excited wide-eyed face and spoke,  “Stranger Things!”

“I said a movie.”

“Star Trek?”

“Meh.”

“ Cinderella”

“Kid, do you think I’m five and wears Snow White dress with Mickey Mouse headbands?”

_ Maybe _ _ ,  _ Peter thought.

“ Batm an vs Superman ?”  Peter squeaked it out, urging himself not to laugh at the mock horror of Tony’s face.

“No  no no . Hell no. Pete, I chose you to pick for a reason. And that reason was that you should know good movies.  _ Good movies _ .  Don’t talk about that shit. It’s terrifying.”

“Mr. Stark, it’s just a-“

“No and no. That’s final.”

“ How about Star Wars!” It wasn’t subtly a question.

Tony has heard of Star Wars. It was very well popular throughout the world. He was fascinated by the franchise when he young. He was all for its technologies and ship functions that he tried making  lightsabers back then. But he stopped because the Force, they say, was bothering him. He thought it was magic and he doesn’t like magic. Magic is complicated and beyond the knowledge of a logical scientist.

And so he agreed.

They both  started on ‘A New Hope’ to ‘The Phantom Menace’ and disagreements on criticizing to make them fall asleep .

And for the first time in a long time , Tony slept without nightmares.

And Peter didn’t get to dream about  the Vulture .

It was only  a  peaceful  sleep.

* * *

“ Thanks, Happy. I appreciate the company ,” May  thanked with a blush. And it seemed to affect the grumpy man too.

“ I... also appreciate it too.” Happy rubbed his neck nervously making May snicker . “I’m sure you do. Now I think we could go home now.  Peter’s still having school night,” May said as she drank the contents of the wine glass. 

Happy scrambled to stand up and nodded with a ‘sure’. He walked out of the room and  possibly readied the car for Peter and May to ride back. 

May later looked around the party room.

There are still a bunch of people were dancing at the calm and  romantic music. Others  were already exiting the premises and May  may have saw few  drunk from partying.

May walked around more, the increasing  worry of Peter’s absence in the large room. 

Hadn’t May said to Peter to stay put?

_ Oh Peter _ , May thought as the realization sunk in.  Peter must’ve been lonely. He doesn’t know a lot of these people. They were just  their  idols  and celebrities  from TV shows and movies, not really relatable to talk to. If only he could talk with someone close enough.

Then the next trail of thought came to Tony Stark.

Of all the people, Peter had to idolize  a man who was an arms dealer. The man who always risks his life for the greater good . The ma who had his loved ones turn into victims of his past doings. It terrified her that Peter could be one of  his loved one to be victimized too. And May was not an idiot. She knew Stark would one day be having grey hairs by the time he slowly steps up to be Peter’s father-figure.  Just give him a year or two and he’ll  be the like May. A woman who had n’t wanted a child in the first place, but in time she regretted her words.  Maybe Tony will be like her. A parent.

But for now, he’s just a mentor.  A teacher. May wanted to be just like that.

However, for once, she will be glad if Peter’s with Tony right now.

May searched for him  the second time until she approached another woman. A specific woman that entitled the party all over.

“Ms. Potts!”  May  tried  to straighten herself with a surprised greeting. She knows little of Pepper Potts, but all she could  adore of her is her persistence on withstanding her relationship with a man who had too much metal on his hands.

Pepper turned around to see a dishevelled May Parker.  Immediately, her body fully faced to May. It was an instinct she’s used to by now.  Whenever someone looks genuinely panicked, it reminded her of Tony’s  panic attacks. The face when he was trying to normally breathe. The eyes of looking at a certain doom in front of him. The hand holding on his chest to stop his pain. Pepper is always worried about those. 

And  she gazed upon herself of the  agitated woman who distinctly  she remembered the person who slapped her boyfriend for his irrational fault  at bringing a superhero teenager.

Pepper admitted that she did the right  thing  by slapping Tony.  She had no qualms about that.

Now she is near to that kind of intimidating woman that acted so not intimidating.

“Mrs. Parker?” Pepper greeted with confusion  as to why May seemed so panic-stricken.

“ Ms. Potts, I- is Mr. Stark with you earlier ?”

Pepper wondered if she’ll kick his ass again. She would pay bucks to see it.

“No, I haven’t seen him since  Ross appeared here. Why do you ask?” Pepper politely asked . She  was able to recall in her mind of black suited men with the looks of serious business and Ross  constantly asking for the billionaire. She knew Tony would scram away from the party when he was called. He’s probably hiding in his workshop to  clear his mind from the Accords. And Pepper didn’t mind him that way. He’s doing it oftentimes.  After the break-up with the Avengers.  At that point of realization, she was struck with guilt of what she had forced to Tony that time.  She broke up with him because she couldn’t handle Tony  stubbornness of not  making an agreement on creating the  Sokovia Accords . And when she realized too late, she saw him crumbling his life to pieces like  what happened in 2013. 

As devastating as it sounds, she  tried to gain her own composure  from guilt  of helping him get through.  Fortunately, it did help a little but he was still falling . It wasn’t enough.

May scrunched up at the thought that Peter possibly gone Spider-Manning. But when Pepper said she didn’t know where Stark is,  she deflated with a sigh.

“I thought maybe that he could be with my nephew. Peter Parker.” May specified the name for her to understand what she’s trying to find.

Pepper lightened up at the name. The kid that Tony  recruited at Germany. That poor boy who lived in a  craggy apartment with his only relative , that her _ fiancé  _ suddenly decided to barge into his life of being a superhero. It disgusted her to even let a kid- a  _ child-  _ join their war when it wasn’t his  thing in the first place. However, that had the pros. Despite the cons,  Pepper really saw Tony made an effort to mentor the kid. She listened bits of Peter’s voice not far away from her spot when she tried  getting Tony out in the workshop.  And  after  the big incident with the Vulture, Tony kept an eye more to the vigilante . It was his responsibility to take care of Spider-Man, as  the mentor of his apprentice.

She even fondly thought about being the next big Avenger Spider-Man would be if  he grows to be a great superhero.

May offered that of a different suggestion. But hopefully, she’ll learn to know that you can’t stop them from being  _ them. _

“Oh, I haven’t really seen him. Maybe FRIDAY can help you,” She suggested.

May plastered a  raised eyebrow and questioned it out, “What Friday?” 

Pepper gasp a little of the realization that May  may have not known the AI.

She  gently placed the wine glass down on the clothed table and  gestured May to follow her to the empty hallway.

“FRIDAY?” Pepper called the ceiling which May looked up  with quirked eyebrows. 

“Yes, Ms. Potts?” Promptly said the AI.

Pepper smirked slightly at the small gape of May Parker. “What the-  who was that?”

Pepper smiled sadly. May and Peter never really encountered something advanced  on tech until Tony came along. While it didn’t provide them  some futuristic technologies due to May’s dismay, he  gave Peter the Spider suit for much more protection when he’ll swing around New York  and two  Starkphone prototypes. For both Peter and May.

“That -Mrs. Parker- is Tony’s AI. Artificial Intelligence. She helps around the compound if needed help by any means,” Pepper explained.

She didn’t hide the small smirk played on her lips as she  saw May glanced up in awe. Tony said the aunt’s  nephew had that puppy eyes of admiration and excitement whenever he sees something  awesome. Almost exact to the face of the woman she’s helping right now.

May urged herself to stop looking  at the ceiling as if God was up there and stiffened when she was seen by Ms. Potts smirking at her. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Uh- right. Can you ask her where’s Peter?”

Pepper complied, “You heard that FRIDAY.”

“Mr. Parker is located  to the  ninth level- Common Room along with Boss. ”

Pepper struck with widened eyes and May stared confused.

_ He barely lets anyone in that specified room.  _ Pepper thought.

“Ms. Potts?” May called out.

“Oh?” 

“Do I need private access there or...?”

Pepper, still frazzled about the thought, spun to her and said, “Oh! Right! Come on. To the elevator.”

“But what about the-”

“No need.”

* * *

Just as they both walked into the room where the boys are gone to, they froze in shock.

Empty bowls splayed on the coffee table, a pile of shirts on the side of the door, and the television still playing some classic movie ( May knew very well that that is Star Wars). But that’s not what Pepper and May caught most of the attention. There laid on the family couch was a teenager and a certain billionaire sleeping. Peter had his head rested on Tony’s shoulder, and Tony didn’t seem to care (probably he  was asleep before Peter set himself to sleep on his shoulder ). Peter had his  legs cross-legged while Tony had his feet slumped on the coffee table, earning a  sarcastic roll from her. And all the while  Peter  slept soundly, Pepper was surpri sed Tony was too. He looked so peaceful . So, comfortable. It was almost a dream for Pepper to see, but it’s not.  It’s real and here.

Pepper never before genuinely smiled since .

“Huh...” May  didn’t smile, but neither did she turned bitter.  Sure, she hated Tony Stark because of his arrogance and mostly  on accusing him to Peter’s alter ego but at what’s happening here. It seemed like Peter’s in good hands. 

A sympathetic hum came from May,  crossing her arms as she stared at the two males sleeping. May had seen Peter content in his sleep at times, but not often though. He’s always so sleep-deprived when he comes home from Spider-Manning, May even bothered to ask Peter if she could downgrade the hour of his curfew. Peter  quickly put that on denial. But now, looking at this seemed to flutter her heart. Peter  looked content and relaxed. She hadn’t seen that angel face in  weeks. Nearly a month even. That alone made May  finalized her thoughts about Stark.

He is not such a bad man after all. 

“FRIDAY? Could you please turn the TV off .” The television was turned off into a black screen.

“You know...” Pepper started, seemingly satisfied of  the scene in front of them. “I used to think he’s such a stubborn and selfish old man.” 

“Oh really?” May  smiled.

“You’re nephew. About Peter...” Pepper  sighed and May turned her head to her. “I heard from Tony that he’s a real good kid.  Too good for doing the- his Spider-Man. ”

_ You could tell that again _ May thought.

_ Wait _

“Mr. Stark? Saying about my nephew?”

“Yeah. He  babbles about him. A lot. Sometimes, I even hear him working while the kid’s voice on the room.  He sounded cheerful as ever. But get this, Peter isn’t there physically . Happy told me there from the calls that Peter sent to him everyday to check up on his  daily life.”

May widened her eyes with  warming pride. Not only Peter helped a lot of people, but also helped the unfeeling man  from its shell.

“He talks about how he’s smart in school.  Known about the decathlon team. Band practices and all that from school.”

“He- He knows all of that?” That seemed to surprise May a lot too. The man didn’t also  spied on Spider-Man, but Peter Parker. He’s really going out with this responsibility of taking care of his mentee.

“Not all. But I guess. The  point what I’m trying to make is- I’m glad you and Peter came. ” Pepper softened her voice more due to the sudden loud snore came from Tony.

May was confused.

“What?”

“I’m glad that you guys came. I mean, it’s just-  your nephew kind of helped me with Tony’s coping mechanisms.” Pepper  awkwardly  kept massaging her hands as in some sort of comfort and reassurance.

“P-Pardon, but I’m afraid I  didn’t catch up.”

Pepper  sighed, “Well, Peter helped Tony break off the cycle.”

“What cycle?”

“You see, Tony’s had a lot of nightmares and panic attacks ever since the Attack on New York.” May winced at the thought. She knew about Iron Man saving millions of lives there from the nuke incoming and almost sacrificed himself on going through the portal. It must be scary  that someone you loved was going to sacrifice for the greater good because he’s a hero. And that  had May on-going worry with her own.

“He had some ups and downs for the  past several months. Mumbling in his sleep. Shaking. Panic attacks. And all those who had PTSD. I-“ She abruptly stopped, looking towards Tony with  empathy. “I was terrified of what’s happening to him after the year of  the Attack. He began making several  armors to clear his mind. He wa s  freaking out when someone mentioned the Wormhole. I- I didn’t know what else to do except have him a therapist, but he’s too stubborn.”

Pepper slowly glanced back at May with deep sadness , as if she wanted to cry but can’t.

Then, she smiled sadly at her looking grateful. “But I’m glad to whatever your kid did, made him sleep okay for once. He hasn’t been doing well since the ir fight with Captain America. He showed the flip phone given to him  from Rogers. He doesn’t call, but...”

May kept nodding to let her continue.

“He kept it himself everywhere. I believe that he doesn’t want to let go yet.  Then Ross appeared earlier and that annoyed him more.  And I-“  _ had destroyed the _ _ team _ _ relationship by using the break-up idea because I wanted him to sign and deal with it.  _

It was aching inside of her, but May left out a comforting  hand onto her shoulders, looking at her with a gentle smile. “I’m sure you did the best you could as his fiancé .” 

It was so assuring, like a mother would  reassure a child. Despite being the kid’s aunt, she really does know how to be  a responsible parent to him.

Pepper laughed it out softly to not wake the two sleeping near them.  She said, “Thanks”

May  smiled then followed her eyes back to her kid.

“ I guess I should take Peter and go. Although,  I’m afraid to wake him up. He’s so cute this way. ” 

“ Wanna take a picture?”

“You bet.”

Both of the women took the picture of sleeping  boys on the couch.

May  walked near Peter and shook him gently. “Peter?” She whispered.

Peter mumbled  nonsensical words and scrunched his eyes. May chuckled and shook him a little more. “Peter, c ’mon. Let’s go home.”

P e ter slowly opened his eyelids groggily like he had just  woken up on Mondays.

“May, five more... minutes...”

“Nu-uh young man.  You’re going to have to let Mr. Stark go.”

“Mr.  Wha -?” Peter tried tilting his head to what she was gazing at, then  a yelp and jolt came out of the boy as he jumped away from the sleeping man , who woke up quickly from an alarmed  boy. 

“ Wha -What Episode  are we-?”

“Oh my God...”

“Did ... Anakin-?”

Once they finally got their shit together from mumbling,  Peter and Tony stared at each other with confused and  uncomfortable silence. That until they struck with the realization .

Tony turned to Pepper. “Pep, what’re you doing he-  Oh. Mrs. Parker...”

Confusion and furrowed eyebrows laced to his face,  seemingly he didn’t know about what  they talked. 

May sighed lightly, then  smirked looking at Tony. “ I’m just  gonna take Peter home . Late. After all, it has been past  eleven.  And school night.” 

Peter suddenly widened his eyes at May. “Oh my God.  I- I- Spider-Man-“

Strictly, May glared at her kid. “No.  You’re going to sleep by home.”

“But May,  the people-“

“No. And that’s final.”

Peter sighed heavily with a little groan.

Tony grunted to stand up and  cleaned his hands by dusting off his dress shirt, and with a nonchalance he told Peter off, “She’s kinda saying the truth, kid. No Spider-Manning tonight. You have school or else May will ground you sleeping in  class .”

Peter would have glared at him if he wasn’t so much an introvert to his idol. Instead, he bubbled up his frustrations of not going for his alter ego and huffed.

“I was the one who was about to say that,” May said with no heat.

“Come on, Pete. Go with Happy,” May ordered.

Peter inwardly cringed at what’s happening. That his aunt ordered him like a little child in front of the Tony Stark and CEO of Stark Industries (which is the Tony Stark’s  fiancée ). It was completely embarrassing for a kid who just joined a billionaire to watch Star Wars and slept.

So, to avoid an added conversation, he stood and walked fast to the elevator.

May watched as he stumbled to get to the elevator, silently chuckling in amusement. 

Then she turned to Tony.

Tony stared at May, unable to say anything from a woman who had slapped him for bringing a child to a fight. And to be honest, he  kinda agreed on her on being his fault on  that. While he got to move on from that, May probably hadn’t. Of course, May raised Peter at a young age. She and her husband took Peter as their child since. When Ben passed, May is fearing Peter might be next. And that grew when Tony offered him to fight against a bunch of superheroes.

At this time,  May sighed and said, “Thank you. For taking care of him.”

It wasn’t much from May’s point of view, but Tony took it as a great development.

With his charming smile, he held up his hand to shake for her. “Likewise. For coming here.” 

Tony did mean a lot of it. He was grateful that Peter came to the anniversary party and disturbed him from the party by his heightened senses. While he enjoyed having fun with Pepper, he wanted to be alone in a lab working to clear his mind from not supposed things.

May smiled genuinely, accepting the hand and shook it. 

* * *

Tony and Pepper stared at each other as May left.

The man suspiciously stared at her and she smiled cheekily.

It took Tony for unusual  amount of seconds to say something. “Okay. For real, Pep. Did I just sleep with the kid back there? With the TV still on and loud?”

Pepper shrugged knowingly, “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“... Did you take a picture on us  _ while sleeping _ ?”


End file.
